Method of making golf balls



Aug. 24, 1937. L. A.'YOUNG 1 METHOD OF MAKING GOLF BALLS Original Filed June 17, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VENTOR Zea/74rd d Faun/d Aug. 24, 1937.

SPR\AYER A. YOUNG 2,090,717

METHOD OF MAKING GOLF BALLS Original Filed June 17, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VENTOR ATT RNEYS Patented Aug. 24, 1937 STATES METHOD OF MAKING GOLF BALLS Leonard A. Young, Detroit, Mich.

Original application June 17, 1933, Serial No. 676,290. Divided and this application October 26, 1933, Serial No. 695,284

7 Claims.

This application is a division of my application, Serial No. 676,290, filed June 17, 1933, for Golf balls and method of making.

The main objects of this invention are:

First, to provide an improved method of making golf balls. I

Second, to provide a method of making golf balls having a shell or outer skin characterized by toughness, ductility and hardness and which does not become discolored or disintegrated from use or exposure to light and is not materially softened by such heat as that to which golf balls are commonly subjected.

Third, to provide a method of making golf balls having a long and accurate flight or carrying capacity,

Fourth, to provide an improved method of making golf balls having the above advantages in an accurate and economical manner.

Objects pertaining to details and economies of my invention will appear from the description to follow. The invention is defined in the claims.

Certain steps in my improved method of making golf balls and the resulting articles are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevation of a golf ball produced by my method, without surface markings.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the core.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view illustrating one of the steps in the manufacture.

Fig. 4 is an elevation illustrating a successive step in the manufacture.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating the structure and steps in manufacture.

;;-, Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary section of a golf ball with surface markings.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary view illustrating a golf ball made in accordance with a modification of my invention.

-Z.i Figs. 8a, 8b, and 8c are diagrammatic views illustrating certain steps in my improved method.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary view illustrating the surface conforming step.

In the accompanying drawings, no attempt has been made to show the parts in their relative proportions and the parts are shown mainly in conventional form for convenience in illustration.

The core I is wound with rubber strands 2, the strands being wound under tension as is now common practice in the art. The core and this rubber winding constitute the main body of the ball.

This body is wound with non-elastic threads or fibrous strands 3 under tension, fine cotton threads being found suitable for this purpose.

- resinous material thereof.

This winding of fibrous strands is preferably under as much tension as is practical without breaking the fine strands, so that the fibrous strand winding is held under permanent tension by the resilience of the body. The fibrous strands will be partially embedded in the rubber strands so that as a result of this tension and this partial embedding there is no slippage possible.

To this fibrous strand wound body I apply a skin coating or shell 4 characterized by toughness, ductility and hardness and having a white pigment incorporated therein so that the shell is white throughout and so that it is unnecessary to coat or paint the outer surface or to apply a sheath as is quite common practice. This outer shell or skin covering is preferably a resinous composition and applied as a plastic directly to the winding. If desired, the coating 4 can be applied directly to the rubber strands 2 as shown by Fig. 7.

The composition is preferably a rubber resin or a resinous derivative of rubber with a percentage of rubber, preferably white crepe rubber,

reduced to a fluid form, and a white pigment.

The coating, however, is characterized by the A suitable. composition is described in and made the subject matter of a copending application, and therefore is not described in detail or claimed herein further than to point out that very satisfactory results may be had with a composition consisting of approximately four parts rubber resin, or a resin derivative of rubber, and one part of the rubber combined with the pigment. This coating is applied in liquid form and a substantial part thereof penetrates'into the fibrous winding.

This penetration of the coating material into the fibrous winding provides a very secure binding engagement for the coating with the fibrous winding so that the coating does not slip or peel, and, as stated, the fibrous winding is under tension so that it is embedded and locked into the rubber body and there is no slippage between the fibrous winding and the rubber winding.

The coating is preferably applied by a series of alternate spraying and drying operations, the drying operations between the spraying operations not being sufiicient to thoroughly dry the previously applied coating. This allows the successive coats to become thoroughly united and, in effect, they constitute a single coating.

In Figs. 8a, 8b, and I conventionally illustrate a coating apparatus designated generally by the numeral 5 and consisting of a series of spraying chambers 6 and a series of drying chamn N Us) hers I. A conveyor indicated conventionally at 8 carries the balls through the several steps of spraying and drying, the balls being mounted on supports 9 which are operated to present all parts of the ball to the sprayers Ill. The means for moving the balls is not illustrated.

The coating material as delivered by the first sprayer unit is reduced or thinned with a solvent to such an extent that there is substantial penetration of the coating material into the fibrous winding sheath and between the strands thereof. The coating materials delivered by the succeeding sprayers are preferably gradually thickened until two or three coatings have been applied, and the thickness of the composition may be increased as much as practical with the spray method of application. However, it is preferably kept thin so that it is uniformly applied and results in a uniform coating.

As stated, the intermediate drying stages are not sufficient to completely dry the sprayed-on layer, and the drying and cooling operation is gradual so that the solvent is substantially driven out as the coating is applied and the finished coating is solid; that is, it is without openings such as result from trapped solvent. It should be pointed out, however, that where solvent is employed the solvent should be such that it does not penetrate to or act upon the rubber body portion. Certain materials which might be employed as a solvent have a deleterious effect on the wound rubber body. A highly volatile gasoline or gasoline distillate will be found satisfactory, and there are other solvents in this group which may be employed with satisfactory results. A highly volatile gasoline or gasoline distillate solvent has the advantage of very rapid evaporation.

The repeated applications of coating material and drying steps result in repeated shrinking of the coating as it is applied. This results in a homogeneous coating which may be relatively thin and at the same time possesses the desired characteristics of toughness, ductility and hardness; that is, it is not easily penetrated or cut. The coating is so united to the body that it cannot peel or separate therefrom.

Prior to the complete drying and setting of the shell, the completely coated ball is placed in a mold as l I having suitable configurations to form the desired surface configurations for the ball. The ball in this step is subjected to pressure which further locks the coating to the body of the ball. When removed from the mold, the ball is thoroughly driedrthis preferably being done at a uniform temperature.

The coating of my improved golf ball is of uniform whiteness throughout. It is not affected by sunlight or variations in temperature such as do affect the ordinary balata covered balls in quite general use.

My improved golf balls are capable of withstanding very severe usage, the cover or shell does not easily cut, and it does not peel.

As stated, I have not attempted to illustrate the parts of the ball in'relative proportions, the rubber and fibrous strands being greatly enlarged for convenience in illustration. The coating steps are also conventionally illustrated.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The method of making golf balls comprising winding a core with rubber strands to form the main body of the ball, winding fine cotton strands on such body under substantial compressing stress, forming a continuous skin coating by alternately spraying a. plurality of times with a fluid resinous composition containing a white pigment and partially drying, said coating penetrating said cotton strands but not said rubber strands, and forming surface configurations by subjecting to pressure in a mold while the ball is still heated from the coating steps.

2. The method of making golf balls comprising winding a core with rubber strands to form the main body of the ball, winding fine cotton strands on such body under substantial compressing stress and to completely cover the same, forming a continuous skin coating by alternately spraying a plurality of times with a composition reduced to a fluid condition and containing a white pigment and partially drying, the initial sprayings being of such consistency that the cotton winding only is penetrated thereby.

3. The method of making golf balls comprising winding a core with rubber strands to form the main body of the ball, winding fine fibrous strands on such body under substantial compressing stress, forming a shell by alternately spraying a plurality of times with a composition in fluid condition to penetrate only between the fibrous strands and containing a white finish pigment and partially drying, and forming surface configurations by subjecting to pressure in a mold.

4. The method of making golf balls comprising forming a wound tensioned rubber body portion, winding such body portion with fine cotton strands under tension so that the cotton strands are partially embedded in the rubber portion and constitute a tensioned casing therefor, and forming a continuous shell by alternately spraying a plurality of times with a resinous coating composition containing a white pigment and partially drying, the initial spray coatings being of such consistency that the cotton winding is penetrated thereby.

5. The-method of making golf balls comprising forming a wound tensioned rubber body portion, winding such body portion with fibrous strands under tension so that the fibrous strands are partially embedded in the rubber portion, forming a shell by successive applications of a coating composition reduced to fiuid condition with solvent and containing a white pigment, the initial application being of such consistency that only the winding of fibrous strands is penetrated thereby.

6. The method of making golf balls comprising forming a wound tensioned rubber body portion, Winding such body portion with fibrous strands under tension so that the fibrous strands are partially embedded in the rubber portion, and forming an outer shell by alternately spraying and partially drying a plurality of times, the initial spray coatings being of such consistency that the winding of fibrous strands is penetrated thereby.

'7. The method of making golf balls comprising forming a tension wound rubber body portion,

winding such body portion with fibrous strands under tension so that the fibrous strands are partially embedded in the rubber portion, and applying a shell composition in the form of a spray directly to the fibrous winding, said composition being of such consistency that only the fibrous strands are penetrated thereby.

LEONARD A. YOUNG. 

